The Government has confirmed up to £21.7bn of funding over 25 years for CCUS and hydrogen technologies at two carbon capture sites in the North West and North East of England.

Commenting on the news Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: "It's broadly agreed that some carbon capture and storage technology will be needed for sectors where no alternative decarbonisation technology exists at the moment, like cement, but exactly how much remains uncertain.

"CCS is one example of a sector that oil and gas workers could transition as the North Sea continues its decline, with offshore wind likely providing an even greater opportunity given the scale of construction being targeted. Pressure will now be on the oil and gas industry to deliver on a technology that has long been heralded as a solution but with little progress."

The investment could directly realise 4,000 jobs and support 50,000 jobs in the long-term according to the Government and help remove over 8.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year (for comparison, the UK is estimated to have produced 100 times that last year).

As part of the partnership with GB Energy, the Crown Estate awarded an Agreement for Lease to Eni to repurpose existing infrastructure to transport and store CO2, reducing cost and environmental impact.

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